Scientists say coronavirus is airborne, ask WHO to revise recommendations

Workers wearing face-masks walk past an information board as they travel through the Waterloo Station during the morning rush hour in London following the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. Picture: Toby Melville/Reuters

Workers wearing face-masks walk past an information board as they travel through the Waterloo Station during the morning rush hour in London following the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. Picture: Toby Melville/Reuters

Published Jul 6, 2020

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Hundreds of scientists say there is

evidence that the novel coronavirus in smaller particles in the

air can infect people and are calling for the World Health

Organization to revise recommendations, the New York Times

reported on Saturday.

The WHO has said the coronavirus disease spreads primarily

from person to person through small droplets from the nose or

mouth, which are expelled when a person with Covid-19 coughs,

sneezes or speaks.

In an open letter to the agency, which the researchers plan

to publish in a scientific journal next week, 239 scientists in

32 countries outlined the evidence showing smaller particles can

infect people, the NYT said.

"We are aware of the article and are reviewing its contents

with our technical experts," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said

in an email reply to a Reuters request for comment.

Whether carried by large droplets that zoom through the air

after a sneeze, or by much smaller exhaled droplets that may

glide the length of a room, the coronavirus is borne through air

and can infect people when inhaled, the scientists said,

according to the NYT.

However, the health agency said the evidence for the virus

being airborne was not convincing, according to the NYT.

"Especially in the last couple of months, we have been

stating several times that we consider airborne transmission as

possible but certainly not supported by solid or even clear

evidence," Dr. Benedetta Allegranzi, the WHO's technical lead of

infection prevention and control, was quoted as saying by the

NYT. 

Reuters

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